#alyzzie

Ugh. She still couldn’t believe what they’d done to Sebastian. Not wanting him to stay at the school was one thing, but exposing his fears and using an aneurysm spell on him were overkill.

Lizzie tried to ignore their incessant giggling, picking up a book on vampire pirates, but Alyssa’s haughty voice carried across the library.

“I still can’t believe she stopped us in the middle of a spell. That vampire deserved so much worse.”

“Think he’ll get kicked out?” another girl asked.

“No doubt about it,” Alyssa said, sounding smug. “That guy is pure evil. His past is literally drenched in blood. Lizzie shouldn’t be defending him.”

“Did you hear they’re sleeping together?”

“Oh, yeah, MG told me all about that,” Alyssa said, groaning. “She’s having sex with a serial killer. It’s so disgusting.”

The girls laughed. “Well, what do you expect from Crazy Lizzie?”

Alyssa snorted. “She’s certainly living up to her name. That’s the only way to explain her obsession with danger. She’s definitely in a manic state right now. Only a matter of time before she realizes how crazy she’s been acting lately and comes crawling back to us, begging for our forgiveness.”

Lizzie clenched her fists as she leaned against the bookcase. That was it. She was going to storm out there and give Alyssa a piece of her mind, possibly with the aid of some magic. Really teach that witch a lesson.

A drawling voice stopped her in her tracks, and she peered around the edge of the bookcase to see what was going on. She was surprised to find Sebastian had appeared in front of Alyssa.

...

Sebastian hated to get involved in so-called teenage drama. He was feeling bad enough from the witch delving into his mind earlier. But when he heard slanderous talk about Elizabeth, he couldn’t stand by and do nothing.

He’d rushed into the library at vamp speed, startling Alyssa and her friends. He smirked with satisfaction at her reaction. Oh, this was going to be fun. Sebastian was not above a little petty revenge.

“You speak about mental illness as if you know something about it,” Sebastian drawled. “But I don’t believe you do. You’re using it to belittle Elizabeth and make yourself feel better about your sad existence. Alyssa Chang, was it? You are wasting your life away with these silly mind games and power plays. If you want real power, this isn’t the way to do it.”

Alyssa lifted her chin, not looking the least bit frightened by him. Big mistake. “I’m not playing games, vampire. I’m just stating facts.”

Sebastian smiled at her. Oh, he was loving this. “If we’re just stating facts then, I have a few of my own to share with the group.”

“This isn’t show and tell,” Alyssa said. Her expression said she was above childish games, but he had proof that she wasn’t.

“That’s not what it seemed like earlier when you had your little glowing orb.”

She put her hands on her hips. “Fine then. What have you got to show?”

“It’s more of something I want to tell, really.” He took a step closer to her, watching her carefully. He had a hunch that she had feelings for him, but it was clear from her steady breathing and unflinching gaze that he was wrong. Still, there was definitely something she was hiding. “You’re awfully concerned with Elizabeth’s love life.”

There it was. A second of surprise, her eyes darting towards her friends as if she was worried they would find out her secret. And now he knew what it was. Alyssa didn’t have feelings for him, no. She had feelings for Elizabeth. He couldn’t blame her. Elizabeth was the most exquisite creature he’d ever laid eyes upon. It was no wonder Alyssa and Milton had eyes for her. In fact, he was surprised more people weren’t vying for her attention. Part of that was likely due to these vicious rumors that Alyssa herself was spreading.

Sebastian knew a lesser man would utterly humiliate Alyssa and expose her little crush. The witch deserved to suffer, but he didn’t want to make Alyssa feel ashamed about her feelings. There was no shame in loving someone. He would rather make her feel guilty about her tactics, enough that she would stop attempting to sully Elizabeth’s good name.

“You’re jealous. Because you fancy me,” he said, smirking. He watched the relief play across Alyssa’s face and her jaw tighten smugly. An ordinary witch wouldn’t have noticed, but a vampire like him had been trained to notice these micro-expressions.

“Dream on, vampire.” She flicked her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms.

“Oh, I shall, but first I’d like to ask you for a favor. You see, I may not have known Elizabeth for a long time, but I know a great deal more about her than you do. She is not crazy, as you say. She struggles with mental illness, yes, but so do many of us. You yourself seem to be quite the narcissist.”

“I’m not,” she defended, but her friends were exchanging looks like they agreed with him.

“You claim that Elizabeth is obsessed with me, but you’re obsessed with making people suffer. You’ve made Elizabeth suffer a great deal. Which one of us is the real monster here? Hm?”

“I know you’ve killed people,” Alyssa said. “I’ll tell Lizzie all about the terrible things you’ve done.”

Sebastian laughed. “My dear, you only know how I felt about what I did. You do not know any specifics. I feel guilty about my past, but I’ve never tried to hide that from Elizabeth. From the moment I met her, I warned her I was dangerous. She knows how I feasted on humans before I was desiccated. Elizabeth is a smart girl capable of making her own decisions. You don’t give her nearly enough credit.”

Alyssa seemed at a loss for words. He knew he’d backed her into a corner. She couldn’t claim that she knew Elizabeth better than he did without revealing how much she paid attention to her. And now she could reflect on how much her words had hurt Elizabeth. Guilt was a powerful thing. Hopefully it would be enough to put an end to her bullying.

Just then Elizabeth appeared from behind a bookcase and stormed up to him. Her eyes were alight with strong emotion and her cheeks were flushed from the exertion, making her look so stunning. She pulled Sebastian into a passionate kiss right there in front of the witches.

Sebastian ran his fingers through her hair and smiled against her mouth. Elizabeth was truly the most wonderful woman he’d ever known. Instead of cowering in a corner, she’d taken charge of the situation and claimed Sebastian for herself.

When she finally pulled back, she looked him up and down appreciatively. “That was so hot,” she said.

Sebastian couldn’t stop his smile. He turned his gaze on the witches. “Well, this has been a lovely conversation, Miss Alyssa. I wish you luck as you learn etiquette and manners.” Before she could say a word, he walked out of the room, arm draped over Elizabeth’s shoulders.

...

Lizzie had felt confident in the moment, determined to show those witches that they couldn’t faze her and that she was sure about her own choices, but now she was feeling a little embarrassed. Sebastian didn’t say a word to her until they were outside in the stone corridor.

“That was unexpected,” he admitted, his eyes filled with lust.

Lizzie smirked. “Alyssa doesn’t get to walk all over me.”

“I never believed you would let her. Did you hear that entire conversation in the library?”

“Yes.” Lizzie had no reason to hide it. “Thank you. For defending me.”

He smiled at her, and she was reminded of the warmth of this morning when they’d made out in the hallway. “I will do whatever I can to protect you, Elizabeth.” He said it like a sacred promise he would uphold to his death.

“You really don’t think I’m crazy?” Lizzie asked, her voice small.

“No, not at all. I’ve met my share of crazy people in my days. Power-hungry people who are never satisfied by the riches they steal. The town leadership in Roanoke was full of them. You are nothing like that, Elizabeth.”

“I’m so sorry your life has been so difficult. But you have a chance to start over here. I don’t care about your past. You could have been a smuggler or pirate for all I care.”

Sebastian laughed. “Now that’s ridiculous,” he teased.

“Hey, at least I’m not as crazy as Alyssa. You were so right. She is obsessed with making other people feel bad.”

“Alyssa isn't crazy either,” Sebastian said. “She's just lonely.”

Lizzie felt a pang of worry in her chest. “You’re not interested in her, are you?”

Sebastian stared at her, clearly surprised. “It astounds me that someone as remarkable as you has so little confidence in yourself.”

Lizzie blushed. “When you’re told you’re crazy all your life, it’s hard to feel good about yourself.”

“Yes, I understand that very well.” A dark expression crossed his face, filled with sadness and regret.

Lizzie swallowed, realizing what was going on. “Dad kicked you out, didn’t he?”

“Not yet,” Sebastian said. “But it’s only a matter of time. I don’t belong here.”

“You do,” she insisted. She put a hand on his arm. “I’ll talk to my dad. I’ll let him know the witches provoked you. I’ll fight for you to stay, Sebastian.”

“I know you will,” he said, sounding sad. “Thank you, Elizabeth.”

Lizzie wrapped a hand around his neck and pulled him in for a gentle kiss. It was slow and sweet, far different from their passionate, hungry kisses, and yet, it was the most intimate kiss Lizzie had ever had.

“Care for some more copulation?” Lizzie asked, raising her eyebrow.

Sebastian smiled, but he shook his head. “No, not right now.”

That was unusual. Sebastian had never turned down an offer for sex before. If he was truly leaving, wouldn’t he want one last time with her? Or maybe he was still upset about what Alyssa had done with the orb. He surely had a lot of emotions to work through today.

She reached for his hand and squeezed it. “Everything’s going to be okay, Sebastian. Even if you do have to leave, we can still see each other. We could meet in the town, copulate to our hearts’ content.”

Sebastian chuckled. He cupped her face in his hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “That sounds beautiful, Elizabeth.” He pulled away from her, and she felt the absence of his touch like a physical pain in her chest. “It’s time I take my leave.”

“Where are you going?” Lizzie asked, worried.

“I think I will head to the gymnasium, work out some of these feelings I’ve been keeping all bottled up.”

“That’s a great idea,” Lizzie said. “I do that too actually. It really helps me start seeing things clearly again.” She rubbed his arm, admiring how toned his muscles were. Her thoughts went back to last time they’d had sex and how much she wanted to do it again, but she could wait. Self care was important, and Sebastian had just had a really tough day.

She was just so grateful to have him in her life. No one had ever stood up to Alyssa like that before. Most boys stopped showing interest in Lizzie the moment they heard the rumors. She knew she was incredibly lucky to have Sebastian, and she was determined to hold on to him.

“Come find me afterwards, if you feel up to it.” Lizzie twirled her hair, a hint of suggestion in her eyes.